Tian Shu Wu Wang Lu

Half a month later

The struggle for opportunities in the Star Abyss Secret Realm is drawing to a close. Within the secret realm, rosy light flows and the tides of spiritual energy gradually subside. Inside the Lingxiao Pavilion, most of the core inner disciples remain deep within the secret realm, vying for the last remaining rare treasures and inheritance opportunities.

The vast Lingxiao Pavilion is usually shrouded in celestial mist and filled with the cries of cranes. Its white jade steps lead straight to the clouds, and its halls and pavilions are adorned with flying eaves, carved beams, and painted rafters, displaying the grandeur of a major sect of immortal cultivation.

At this moment, only a few low-level outer disciples, duty disciples, and elderly elders remained in the sect. The defensive force was several times weaker than usual. Even the operation of the sect's protective formation was intermittent due to insufficient star power supply, revealing an indescribable desolation and hidden danger.

In a secluded corner of the outer gate, in a dilapidated hut that was drafty on all sides, Lu Chenyuan continued his monotonous and arduous cultivation day after day.

The room was sparsely furnished, containing only a dilapidated wooden bed, a wooden table with a missing corner, and several bundles of dry firewood piled in the corner. There wasn't even a decent oil lamp.

During the day, he cultivated by the dim light coming through the window, and at night, he practiced the inferior basic cultivation technique given to him by the sect under the moonlight.

However, Lu Chenyuan of today is no longer the gentle and pure person he was half a month ago, despite his inferiority complex.

He sat on the cold ground, his eyes closed, his star power slowly circulating around him, but a lingering gloom remained between his brows, and deep in his eyes was an unyielding struggle and darkness.

Deep within his brow, the seed of inner demon planted by the Netherworld cultivator clung to him like a maggot, never ceasing its presence.

Every time he circulated his cultivation technique and realized that the star power in his body was still stagnant at the fifth level of star attraction without any progress, the seed of inner demon would quietly throb. Strands of dark and cold evil energy would slowly invade his limbs and bones along his meridians, gradually eroding the kindness and perseverance in his heart.

At first, he was able to suppress this evil energy by relying on his brotherhood with Lin Ye. However, as time went by, the frustration of stagnant cultivation, the humiliation of being looked down upon by the sect members, and the inferiority complex of never being able to catch up with Lin Ye's pace washed over his mind like a tide.

The seeds of inner demons, nourished by these negative emotions, slowly took root, sprouted, and quietly grew stronger, making him increasingly taciturn, increasingly aloof and arrogant, and his aura gradually turned cold. Occasionally, a faint black aura emanated from his body, which even he himself did not notice.

The "Netherworld Star Devouring Technique," swirling with dark, malevolent energy and engraved with eerie patterns, was pressed tightly under the straw of the wooden bed. Even through the thin bed board, one could still feel the heart-pounding yet incredibly alluring power fluctuations.

For the past two weeks, he has tossed and turned countless times at night, unable to sleep, his mind filled with the seductive words of the Netherworld cultivator, and his fingertips have reached under the bed countless times, trying to retrieve the evil magic.

But at such times, Lin Ye's image would clearly appear before his eyes—it was when he was cultivating in the outer sect, Lin Ye patiently explained the bottleneck of the cultivation technique to him, his appearance tireless; it was when the sect distributed meager cultivation resources, Lin Ye shared half with him without saying a word, his appearance gentle; it was before the secret realm opened, Lin Ye patted his shoulder, solemnly promising to find him a top-level cultivation technique, his appearance sincere.

These memories were the last straw that helped him suppress his inner demons and uphold the righteous path, but they also became the shackles that tormented him the most.

Every day, he would stop his cultivation, walk alone to the door of the hut, and gaze into the distance towards the entrance of the secret realm, sometimes for most of the day.

He harbored a last glimmer of hope, hoping that Lin Ye would return safely and that the top-tier cultivation technique would help him escape his stagnant cultivation; yet he was also filled with unspeakable fear and inferiority, fearing that even with the technique, he would still be a useless piece of trash, still only able to live under Lin Ye's protection, and still looked down upon by everyone.

This conflicting mix of expectation and inferiority tormented him day and night, causing him to grow increasingly thin, his eyes to become more bloodshot, and him to be on the verge of collapse.

He tried to cultivate even more diligently, without sleep or rest, and even when his meridians were throbbing, he still gritted his teeth and persevered. However, the limitations of the basic techniques were like an insurmountable chasm in front of him, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not overcome it.

Days passed by, until this day, the world collapsed, and a catastrophe descended.

The sky, which had been clear and sunny, suddenly darkened in an instant.

The sky seemed to be suddenly shrouded by a huge black cloth. Endless, pitch-black demonic energy surged and roared, sweeping in from all directions. In an instant, it completely blocked out the sunlight and firmly enveloped the entire Lingxiao Pavilion.

A piercing, chilling, and soul-shaking demonic howl tore through the void, causing the mountains to rumble, the palaces to tremble, and even the bluestone on the ground to crack.

The Netherworld Branch cultivators, who had been lying in wait outside Lingxiao Pavilion for a long time, emerged in full force like ghosts crawling out of hell!

Thousands of black-clad demonic cultivators, surrounded by dense black energy, wielding blood-stained demonic weapons, their eyes sinister and venomous, filled with world-destroying killing intent, surged madly into the sect through the flaws in the sect's protective formation.

These demonic cultivators, though of varying skill levels, were all fearless and clearly determined to destroy the Lingxiao Pavilion, launching this long-planned and devastating attack.

"Netherworld demons are attacking! Activate the protective array immediately! Sound the alarm bells to notify the disciples of the secret realm!"

The sect's Grand Elder, an old man in the early Star Core stage, was guarding the main peak when he sensed the change in the world. His face turned pale instantly, and he roared sharply. At the same time, he raised his hand and sent out a communication beam, trying to rush to the entrance of the secret realm to warn the disciples inside.

But he was still a step too slow.

In the void, a gigantic black hand, imbued with boundless demonic energy, suddenly descended from the sky, slamming down with overwhelming force towards the elder on duty. Wherever the giant hand passed, space distorted and air currents exploded, giving the elder absolutely no chance to dodge.

"No!"

A desperate roar echoed through the sky. The elder on duty's star power surged, and he used all his cultivation to resist, but it was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot. In an instant, his body was shattered by the powerful demonic energy, turning into a cloud of blood mist that drifted into the air. Even his soul could not escape and was completely devoured by the demonic energy.

Without a leader, the already empty Lingxiao Pavilion instantly descended into chaos.

The incomplete protective array shattered in no time under the impact of the massive demonic energy. The array's core broke, its spiritual light dissipated, and it completely lost its protective function.

The black-clad demonic cultivators surged into every corner of the sect like a tidal wave, killing anyone they saw. Their demonic arts ran rampant, swords flashed and blood splattered everywhere, instantly staining the white jade steps red and soaking the soil of the immortal mountain.

One after another, magnificent palaces collapsed under the bombardment of demonic power, with debris flying everywhere and dust billowing; thousand-year-old spiritual trees withered and died instantly, corrupted by demonic energy; the disciples who usually devoted themselves to cultivation had no time to resist and were killed by the demonic cultivators. Screams, wails, sounds of fighting, and the shattering of magical artifacts echoed throughout the heavens and earth, one after another, sending chills down one's spine.

The once majestic and revered Lingxiao Pavilion, a major sect of immortal cultivation, was reduced to a living hell in just half an incense stick's time.

Flames soared into the sky, illuminating the dark horizon. The ground was littered with mutilated corpses, scattered magical artifacts, and shattered jade. The once-paradise was now a scene of devastation, with rivers of blood flowing through it. The thick stench of blood and demonic energy mingled together, permeating the entire sect and lingering there.